When people learn that I am a quilt historian and that I wrote a book about quilt care, storage and display, they often want to ask questions about how to care for a family heirloom. Usually, they don’t know the age of the quilt, and often, they guess at which family might have made it. Just the other day I received a question about quilt care, but sight unseen, it is impossible to determine what kind of “life” this quilt has lived. Has it been in heavy service? How well was it made, in the first place? Does it have “fancy fabrics” or embroidery? Where has it been stored, or used? Has it been around animals or children? Had food spills? Or, was it given as a wedding gift and then, stored in a cedar chest for years and years? Has it been exposed to mothballs? God forbid!
This hexagon miniature quilt is based on an antique quilt in my collection and is shown in my book, Straight Talk About Quilt Care II, along with the original 19th century quilt. Of course, I had to use at least one fabric that is out of sync with the times to make sure that people knew that it was a 20th century reproduction. With 1,039 fabrics, only two fabric pieces are alike, reminiscent of the time when charm quilts of this type were in fashion. Quilt made by Patricia Cummings/ photo by James Cummings
I have not seen the latest quilt in question but since it is reportedly in pastel colors and features a “tulip pattern,” it is safe to assign it a circa 1930s date. Light pastel fabrics of yellow, pink, blue, lavender, and mint green (think Easter) were not produced until the early 20th century.
There have always been trends in quilting, just as there are swings in fashion design. The changes in the types of fabric manufactured really helps quilt historians to be able to give a ball park date as to when a particular quilt was made. It is a science unto itself, but luckily for us, today, there are many books on fabric styles and quilt history that can aid us in determining dates of quilts with an unknown provenance.
My e-book on CD, Straight Talk About Quilt Care II, Display, Cleaning, and Storage of Quilts, Needlework and Textiles, can be viewed on any computer. It is available to purchase in select museum shops and from other vendors, as well as from my own website, and amazon.com (for those who prefer that venue). The book was thoroughly updated earlier this year, and remains a timeless resource, unsurpassed elsewhere in the scope and breadth of knowledge it presents.
Individual pages can be printed out, or the whole book, for that matter, for your personal use. Many textile educators have relied on this book in preparing their own paid presentations, using the information I have provided. As with any of the books published by Quilter’s Muse Publications, they are not bulk-produced. Each book is created especially for YOU.
For more information, see this page: http://www.quiltersmuse.com/straight-talk-about-quilt-care-II.htm
Patricia Cummings
Tags: quilt care
